Rated 4 out of 5 by Joy T. Marinas Its Access Points are like plug-and-play devices that you just turn on and leave there and will automatically speak with its controller. Valuable Features:As a network engineer, the feature that I value with Aruba is the management of the devices, like the one-touch provisioning of a wireless network.Improvements to My Organization:Aruba Access Points are like plug-and-play devices that you just turn on and leave there and will automatically speak with its controller! It just makes the network administrator's work easier.Room for Improvement:I worked on getting the root cause of multiple alarms of wireless access points in our management platform and found it to be caused by a software bug of the current version in the wireless controller. While doing this task, I found that the TAC support people I worked with have limited knowledge or comprehension of the what's going on as I was passed around to other engineers a few times.Use of Solution:I used to troubleshoot these devices for six years.Stability Issues:Due to the software bug I encountered (forgot the version), it appeared like that multiple access points were unstable, software speaking, but were not down physically.Technical Support:Just slightly above the middle rating because not all technical support have the same caliber of troubleshooting an issue.Previous Solutions:I also worked with the Cisco wireless solution as I manage several enterprise networks that use different solutions. I would say that managing Aruba products is easier than Cisco.Initial Setup:For a person who has been brought up with Cisco devices, I could say it was complex when I started working in Aruba's CLI.Implementation Team:We just used the cheat sheets we have in our SharePoint, following what the previous engineers did when setting up.Other Advice:From a person who tried managing multiple wireless device platforms, there were little to no incidents that we receive for Aruba devices for a specific period of time. Though the biggest contender of this product line has been setup to majority of our customers, it appeared that Aruba devices are more stable.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. May 17, 2016

Rated 4 out of 5 by WiFiSuperman Review about Aruba Wireless Valuable Features:Aruba is the only other wireless vendor besides Cisco that offers the flexibility of using AP's in any combination of the 3 controller-based architectures.Improvements to My Organization:Lots of Flexibility but with flexibility comes complexity. Flexibility is great for large organizations but the Aruba instant AP may be good for smaller organizations.Use of Solution:I have worked with Aruba gear for 4 years.Deployment Issues:Any issues I encountered were resolved quickly with an excellent TAC.Scalability Issues:Aruba has a very scalable product with different hardwar, software and complementary products such as AirWave and ClearPass.Technical Support:TAC is really a 9+Previous Solutions:I have worked with other great vendors like Cisco, Meraki, Motorola, etc.Initial Setup:There are ways to sidestep the complexity available with Aruba, but if you do not need the advanced features of Aruba then Aruba instant or another vendor may suit your needs best.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. May 16, 2016

Rated 3 out of 5 by NwkAdmin338 For the most part, users haven't noticed hiccups because of the HA capability & the speed at which the controllers can authenticate. Unlike in the past, quarterly release dates have been delayed. Valuable Features:It's very adaptable from the access point line. We've found that ClearPass products have met our performance marks to the letter. They sold us on foundations stats and provided us with everything we asked for. They didn't come up short and were dead on the money.Improvements to My Organization:It's provided our students with such reliable service that they just expect it to be there and take it for granted. They come to school, blackboard their work, get on YouTube, chat with friends, etc., and then go home, not realizing that they used the college network. We've been able to give them the best experience possible, and their feedback has been amazing. If there are ever any hiccups, the complaints and tickets pile up very quickly.Our users, for the most part, haven't noticed hiccups because of the HA capability and the speed at which the controllers can authenticate. In fact, the last couple updates have boosted the quality and redundancy. Students have been able to watch YouTube videos without any noticeable rendering issues during hiccups.We have a few IAP's and that's sort of like the standalone home router stuff. They're lacking in functionality, and though they are designed for standalone small deployments, they don't give you the good standalone fun stuff that you expect on a smaller scale router, like good DLNA. I wish they were a little bit more progressive on their IAP line.Room for Improvement:Before HP bought Aruba, the release dates for codes were very predictable and quick. Code release were always visibly available. But since HP's acquisition, normal and quarterly release dates have been delayed, probably because of continued integration between the two companies. One specific issues is that we want to deploy their latest and greatest AP, but they don't have a GA code version available yet. We're still waiting.I know that's a very specific complaint, but it actually has impacted us because we keep a flush on the older access points on hand just in the event code gets delayed by a few weeks. It's now been delayed by a month to two and I have to buy older access points. I can't deploy the latest and greatest.I'm hoping things get smoothed out when they start getting their product lines and their flow of products and code deployments get fixed. I've been a little disappointed in that.Also, I've found some of their onboarding stuff to be overkill and not worth the price. Their base stuff that's included in ClearPass is absolutely amazing, but the fringe things are superfluous and overcharged. The core stuff, though, is exactly what you pay for.Use of Solution:We're essentially an Aruba shop. We have uniform wireless AP's ranging from AP 125's, which are slowly going to be de-commissioned on our next product cycle, all the way up to AP 325's in our fleet. We have three 7240 controllers, and one 7210 controller as our test platform box that we use for benchmarking and a few other projects. They're basically fully-licensed and we are basically all-wireless. We do not have any HP switching gear in-house or Aruba switching gear. All of this is controllers and access points for the hardware side. For the software side, we have AirWave, which monitors our entire wireless fleet in controllers, and ClearPass. We have three ClearPass appliances -- one is a hardware box and another is a VM box. Both of them are 25K units and one 5K unit appliance, as well as hardware.We've been using them for about 10 years I would say, maybe nine years.Deployment Issues:It deploys extremely quickly.Stability Issues:The controller is a rock solid 10 out of 10, the access points are 9.5 out of 10, ClearPass is 10 out of 10, and AirWave is 9 out of 10.Scalability Issues:It scales incredibly well. We did have some scalability issues with the system a long time ago, but they fixed that rather quickly. We also changed product lines at around that time. We were outgrowing the product a little bit too quickly, but since we've moved to the new controllers, it's been rock solid.Technical Support:Technical support is very good, but it's dependent on the engineer you get. Sometimes you'll get a fantastic engineer and your problem is solved right away. Sometimes you might have to jump through a few more hoops. Sometimes you get the Cisco experience where you must follow the bouncing ball and complete all the 10 questions. You know how your product works, you don't need to complete 10 questions. You have a problem and want an engineer who can solve this really quickly.I've noticed that it's been getting better over time. It used to be bad about four years ago. Over the last two to three years, it's been getting a lot better. As long as you fill out the surveys, I tend to find that the service has been getting better and better and better. You get your resolution pretty quickly. So I'm generally quite happy with the tech calls.I've noticed they've scaled back a little bit of their SE's. I guess that's because they're such a big company.Initial Setup:The initial setup tends to be both straightforward and complex. Although I haven't done an initial setup in a while, everything just clicks together very well. When I did do an initial setup, the wireless controller was up and running within a few minutes. Deploying new controllers into the cluster takes seconds. There are a lot of wizards and guides built into the controllers for setup. So it's very easy.ClearPass is a little harder, and AirWave is medium difficulty. ClearPass is the hardest part to get going without a good amount of training.Cost and Licensing Advice:Day-to-day costs are generally very low. We have very few problems with the system, so our maintenance costs and hours that we put into solving problems is generally very low, which makes my life really easy to work on other issues that come up. Our wireless system generally doesn't generate a lot of day-to-day issues.Initial costs for purchasing the system? It's on par with other vendors, but is a little bit cheaper than the equivalent of what we were getting out there, so I feel that we got really good value.Other Advice:Make sure you buy the system that suits your network. They have a very broad pallet, so you can buy one that's overkill and buy one that's underkill. Make sure you spec and follow the guides appropriately. Also, you have to have a very good concept of how fast you're going to grow and how much you're going to grow because if you don't have a really good idea of what your growth curve is going to look like, you can easily buy something that doesn't fit perfectly.Proper planning for scaling, and knowing what your growth curve is going to be is key. Work with the SE's on figuring out the plan is very important. Aruba has a very broad product line on scalability, so that can hurt you and help you at the same time. It is very nice to have.Disclaimer: IT Central Station contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. April 14, 2016

Rated 4 out of 5 by Kashan Siddiqui The features we find most valuable are the firewall, virtual controller, and its compatibility with controller-based and controller-less solutions. Valuable Features:* Firewall* Virtual controller* Compatibility with controller-based and controller-less solutionsImprovements to My Organization:It supports different classes of services for different types of users, has easy management, is easy to use, etc.Room for Improvement:The RF needs to be improved.Use of Solution:We started using it one month ago.Deployment Issues:There have been no issues with the deployment.Stability Issues:8/10Scalability Issues:There have been no scalability issues.Customer Service:8/10Technical Support:I'd rate technical support 9 out of 10.Previous Solutions:We switched for its new and advanced features, as well the lifetime warranty.Initial Setup:It's just plug-and-play.Implementation Team:We implemented it with support of vendor and I would rate them as 9/10.Cost and Licensing Advice:The IAP licence that we use is free.Other Solutions Considered:* Cisco* Eugenius* UbiquityOther Advice:It is a very stable and scalable solution.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. February 10, 2016

Rated 4 out of 5 by DeputyDirInfra622 It's allowed us to be SDN-enabled with networking thrust re-route or pick-ups at the switch edges. Valuable Features:Four years ago, our network was incapable of handling our anticipated throughput. We knew we had issues in our network, so we made sure our switches and infrastructure were OpenFlow-enabled. We originally planned for three devices per student, but now we're seeing four or five and sometimes more with wearable devices. Now, with Aruba Wireless, we're SDN-enabled with networking thrust re-route or pick-ups at the switch edges.Improvements to My Organization:Aruba Wireless allows us to integrate our network with different HP technologies. We want to have a single vendor with a rapid-enough life-cycle. HP isn't held back by the workload or lowest common denominator, or by the fact that we have locations in Australia, Vietnam, and other places on that side of the globe. We can use Aruba Wireless everywhere and manage it effectively. It is doing everything we need it to do and it's giving me the flexibility to go where I want to go.Room for Improvement:It could always be improved to be a better risk-related investment. We need to maximum our investment and to have it work to its fullest potential for us. I'd like to see it get to the point where SDN works well with HP Net Protector.Deployment Issues:We've had no issues with deployment.Stability Issues:We had lots of issues on the network routers until about 12 months ago, having to do with the architecture. We had too much load at the core by allowing too many wireless users.Scalability Issues:We run two-and-a-half gigabytes through the wireless system. We're looking for even greater throughput, and I think it'll scale to accommodate this.Technical Support:Technical support has been good. We have a support contract with HP and access to the right people when we need them. However, HP's presence in Australia is a little light.Other Advice:Definitely look at SDN to take some costs out of your network. If you can, go with HP ConvergedSystem because it's the simplest, fastest way to virtualize your networks.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. January 12, 2016

Rated 4 out of 5 by Mark Richardson It's a reliable product and it just works. The most valuable feature for us is the support they provide. Valuable Features:The most valuable feature for us is the support they provide us. We're putting together a budget for upgrading to another Aruba kit, but we always know that the support will be there.Improvements to My Organization:It's a reliable product and it just works. We haven't had to really do anything with it. We don't have much budgeted for WiFi because we only have a couple of small offices, but the product is light, very effective, and incredibly reliable for both our employees and guests. I think it'll drive our BYOD policy for more guests who come into our office.Room for Improvement:I don't like how the traffic comes out of the controller. Users connect to the wireless APs and all the traffic converges to the controller and then back out again. This is probably not a limitation but a design issue.Use of Solution:We use Aruba in our manufacturing facilities for the handheld wireless scanners in warehouse production environments.Deployment Issues:We've had no issues with deployment.Stability Issues:It's been stable. We started out with a small warehouse and then we went into the next warehouse then to the productions areas and other spaces.Scalability Issues:We use it the most in our largest manufacturing site with several big warehouses. It scaled just find in this environment.Initial Setup:I wasn't involved in the setup about four years ago.Other Solutions Considered:We looked at HP/Aruba and Cisco.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. January 4, 2016

Rated 4 out of 5 by Derrick Longdo The remote access through RAPS is a feature that simplifies access for our providers at home, and provides continuity of security, but the configuration is detailed and can be complex. Valuable Features:The most valuable features for me are:* Built-in firewall* Security* Authentication* Remote access* StabilityImprovements to My Organization:Providing wireless to our clinicians and providers allows them to be mobile within the facility and still maintain connectivity to valuable information, like our Electronic Health Record. The remote access through RAPS is a feature that simplifies access for our providers at home, and provides continuity of security. In addition we provide guest wireless to our patients and families which improves satisfaction.Room for Improvement:The configuration is extremely detailed and can be quite complex. For a small IT staff, it is difficult to make changes without outside consulting or Aruba Support.Use of Solution:We've used it for two years. We're using a 3400 controller with AP105 Access Points. The software version is 6.3.1.9_44832.Deployment Issues:There were no issues with deployment.Stability Issues:This product has been very stable.Scalability Issues:No. We have added Access Points and Remote Access Points as needed. We also expanded to a redundant controller which allows High Availability.Customer Service:Service has been good - 8/10.Technical Support:8/10Previous Solutions:We switched to Aruba because of the advanced security. In healthcare we have HIPAA compliance to achieve and maintain. Security is a priority.Initial Setup:Setting up the controller is complex. The SSIDs, Authentication methodology, Access, is all quite complex to set up. Not for a novice.Implementation Team:We used a vendor team to implement. We used a third party consulting firm to assist with setting up the redundant controller. Both were very good.ROI:This product is considered infrastructure. It is a cost of doing business. It allows our business to be more flexible and mobile. But there is no direct ROI.Cost and Licensing Advice:Aruba has made changes to their licensing to make it more cost effective. Work with a partner that is familiar with all of the features in this product so that you get the licensing you need. Not all features are available with basic licensing. You need to determine the feature set you want, and then look at pricing for that feature set.Other Solutions Considered:HP and Cisco. HP was not secure enough. We had HP in house already. We looked at Cisco but did not do a demo or work with a partner. We do not have any Cisco in house. From my own research, Cisco was too expensive and did not have a solution that was a single appliance that could do all of the things that Aruba can do. Their solution required firewalls, controllers, and routers to accomplish the same thing. This may no longer be the case.Other Advice:Get a good partner. Not just the local IT shop that has wireless experience. Not all wireless vendors are created equal. To get the real bang for the buck, you need an expert to help you decide what you want and to implement it.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. November 28, 2015

Rated 4 out of 5 by SrNetworkAdmin468 ?It improves security by helping us to centralize access controls and dot1x, but it would be nice to have the heatmap back in the controller.? Valuable Features:Integrated firewall, integrated WIDS/WIPS on the controllers and the ability to tunnel LAN traffic from the switches through the controllers to set consistent 802.1x and access controls that are consistent across both wired and wireless LANs.Improvements to My Organization:It improves security by helping us to centralize access controls and dot1x and set common policy across both wired and wireless LANs without having to install additional components.Room for Improvement:The controllers used to include heat map functionality. This was removed in a recent release. To get this functionality now, you need to be using Airwave (AWMS), which adds additional cost. On the other hand, Airwave can be used to manage a multi-vendor environment, so there may be some other benefits to having it deployed, but it would be nice to have the heat map back in the controller.Use of Solution:I've been using it for five years.Deployment Issues:No issues encountered.Stability Issues:No issues encountered.Scalability Issues:No issues encountered.Customer Service:It's excellent.Technical Support:It's excellent.Initial Setup:Default settings are sufficient to get a functioning wireless network up and running fairly easily. Complexity increases add vLANs, security policy, dot1x, redundancy, etc.Implementation Team:At my previous employer we had a relatively large wireless installation so we worked with a vendor team. The network at my current employer is small enough that I could handle it myself.Cost and Licensing Advice:Licensing has improved. In the past all redundant controllers required licenses for all the access points. They've not implemented a centralized licensing model so that you only need to license your access points once.Other Solutions Considered:We evaluated Cisco. Cisco's solution, at the time, required additional components to provide the same functionality. For example you'd need external firewalls, IDS/IPS, and authentication servers. Aruba controllers had all this built in. I haven't looked at Cisco's current offerings, so this may not still be the case.Other Advice:I'd recommend you do the training.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions. November 26, 2015